Department for Transport

Bats

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many bat bridges over roads (1) have been completed in each of the last five years, (2) are under construction, and (3) are planned; and what is the (a) location, and (b) actual or budgeted cost of each.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: One Highways England scheme has provided bat crossings as part of its construction during the last five years, and that is the A11 Fiveways to Thetford improvement scheme. Six crossings have been completed at a cost of £354,000.

Tinsley Viaduct

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what have been the maintenance costs of Tinsley Viaduct since its construction, and what effect the underlying geological faults and old mine workings have had on the cost of maintenance.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Highways England currently only has readily available the details of maintenance costs for Tinsley Viaduct covering the past 6 years. In this period, maintenance schemes on the viaduct have cost approximately £1 million per year. Highways England are not aware of any effects the underlying geological faults or mine workings have had on maintenance costs.

Diesel Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve the measurement of diesel emissions from cars in the light of evidence that nitrogen oxide emissions in real time road trials are up to 12 times higher than in laboratory tests.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government has been at the forefront of action at European level to introduce Real Driving Emissions (RDE) testing for new cars. The RDE test will be conducted on public roads and will require manufacturers to ensure new diesel (and petrol) cars control nitrogen oxide emissions to below 2.1 times the laboratory test limit from 2017. From 2020 the requirement will be tightened so they must be at or below the laboratory limit (with a margin for measurement uncertainty).

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 4 May (HL7877), why they have not specified as part of their sustainability policy for HS2 the use of sustainable aggregates in the design of structures.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The HS2 Sustainability Policy states that we will ‘source and make efficient use of sustainable materials.’ This includes the use of sustainable aggregates but is a purposely high-level statement intended to cover all types of sustainable materials. The detailed specifications for the sourcing and use of all materials, including aggregates, will be developed through the design process in line with the Sustainability Policy.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the terms of the review of HS2 being undertaken by Sir Jeremy Heywood; and when that review is expected to conclude.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As is normal for large projects, the Cabinet Office’s Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) is conducting assurance of the HS2 programme as it proceeds into its delivery phase. It is standard practice for this to include a small cross Government team, and not unusual for the Cabinet Secretary to take an interest on projects of this scale. ‎ The IPAs role on the Government's Major Projects Portfolio is to provide expertise in infrastructure and the financing, delivery and assurance of major projects, to support more effective management and delivery across government. The assurance exercise is expected to feed into the next steps on delivery.

Railway Track

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many single line tracks there are on passenger lines within a 120 mile radius of all London rail stations; and what they are.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: This is an operational matter for Network Rail and London Underground.

High Speed Two: Staff

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many senior staff have transferred from Network Rail to HS2, either on a temporary or on a permanent basis.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: HS2 Ltd has a Senior Leadership Team comprising its 74 most senior people. Of these 74 people, 13 people have transferred from Network Rail to HS2 Ltd, either on a temporary or permanent basis.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest estimate of the cost of HS2’s AP3 design for its part of Euston Station and, within that cost, what allowances have been made for (1) inflation, (2) property purchase and compensation, (3) demolition, and (4) provision for taxis, buses and connections to London Underground and Crossrail 2, if built.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The latest cost estimate for Euston is £2,250m. This is based on the revised proposal for Euston included in the 3rd Additional Provision (AP3) to the Phase One hybrid Bill, deposited in Parliament in September 2015.This figure is at 2nd quarter 2011 price levels and excludes land and property, inflation and contingency costs.The property purchase and compensation costs for the AP3 proposals are included as part of the wider property budget for Phase One of HS2.This estimate includes provisional allowances for demolition, station connections for taxis & buses and connections to London Underground. Due to their commercial sensitivity, figures for those provisional allowances are not currently available for release.The AP3 proposals do not include a connection for Crossrail 2, however the design of the high speed station has been coordinated with the promoters of the Crossrail 2 scheme and AP3 does not preclude a connection.

High Speed Two

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria are used by HS2 Ltd to challenge the locus standi of petitioners to the Lords Select Committee.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The rules relating to locus standi are set out in the Lords Standing Orders for Private Business 114-118 and the basis for our decisions was included in a note that accompanied the challenge notices sent to petitioners last week. The note explained that individuals or businesses whose property or interests are directly and specially affected by the scheme have locus. Therefore, petitioners who are listed in the Book of Reference, and whose property and interests may well be affected, have not been challenged. Local authorities on the route, who may have locus at the discretion of the Select Committee, have not been challenged, as they will represent issues pertaining to the inhabitants of their area. Individual petitioners have been challenged when their property or interests are not affected by the scheme or where this affect is not sufficiently different from that of the general public. Standing Orders also allow discretionary locus for groups representing amenity or recreational interests. Groups have only been challenged on the basis that they do not sufficiently represent amenity or recreational interests or other petitioners have a much stronger claim to represent such interests. The Government has also chosen not to challenge members of this House, where they are not directly and specially affected, in keeping with the approach taken in the Other Place.

Home Office

Asylum: Eritrea

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what provision for language interpretation services has been provided for Eritrean nationals in Calais who may lack the necessary level of English to complete an asylum request.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Responsibility for the processing of asylum claims in Calais is a matter for the French Government.

Female Genital Mutilation

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much funding, and what resources, are allocated to providing training for teachers and those working in the care and medical professions to recognise female genital mutilation.

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government to whom instances of female genital mutilation should be reported, and whether there is a mechanism for doing so anonymously.

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children have been prevented from leaving the country when it is believed they are going abroad to undergo female genital mutilation.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are clear that Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a crime and it is child abuse. On 1 April we published updated multi-agency statutory guidance on FGM including information to help professionals understand the risk factors that they should be looking out for and what action they should take. In addition, free e-learning is available to all professionals, providing training on how to recognise and respond to FGM. To date the course has been completed by over 30,000 people. In addition, the Department of Health’s £3M FGM Prevention Programme is focused on improving the NHS response and includes free e-learning for healthcare professionals. A new mandatory reporting duty requiring regulated health and social care professionals and teachers to report known cases of FGM in under 18s to the police came into force on 31 October 2015. Professionals encountering instances of FGM in women over 18, or who believe that a girl or woman is at risk, should follow established safeguarding procedures. Anyone who is concerned that a girl or woman has undergone FGM or is at risk can contact the NSPCC FGM helpline. Reports to this helpline can be made anonymously. The Home Office’s Border Force plays a vital role in helping to identify and protect potential victims of FGM travelling to and from the UK. Border Force work with the police in protecting girls and young women at risk of FGM, including carrying out joint operations. FGM Protection Orders (FGMPOs) were fast-tracked for implementation last July and are being used to protect girls at risk of FGM, including those who may be taken abroad. Ministry of Justice data released on 31 March shows 32 FGMPOs were issued between July and December 2015.

Asylum: Disability

Baroness Thomas of Winchester: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the number of people with disabilities who are seeking asylum.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: At present the Asylum Transparency Agenda Data set does not report information on asylum claimants with disabilities nor are there plans for this to be included. In addition we do not currently record this information in a readily accessible format.

British Overseas Territories Citizenship

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 25 April (HL7517), what is the timescale for the forthcoming review of British nationality law; and whether that review, and subsequent changes to citizenship legislation, will include the position of those of British Overseas Territories descent born before 1 July 2006 whose unmarried fathers automatically gained full British citizenship under the British Overseas Territories Act 2002.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The review of citizenship will look at how citizenship should be obtained in the future, both within the UK and the overseas territories. The overseas territories will be consulted as part of that review, and will have the opportunity to provide their views on a number of citizenship matters. The date for this consultation has not been finalised and details will be published in due course.

Police and Crime Commissioners: Elections

Lord Condon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many independent candidates were successfully elected to the role of Police and Crime Commissioner in 2016, and how that figure compares to the number of independent candidates elected in 2012.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: All information pertaining to the candidates who stood in the 2016 Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections, including details of those elected, is available on the Government website: www.choosemypcc.org.uk.In the 2016 PCC elections, 3 independent candidates were elected to the role. In the 2012 PCC elections, 12 independent candidates were elected to the role.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

European Convention on Human Rights

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the obligations upon member states of the EU include any duty to observe the requirements of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The EU is not itself a party to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Any agreement for the EU to accede would need to be agreed unanimously by all EU Member States (including the UK) and all other contracting parties to the ECHR.Our renegotiation deal reaffirmed that the Charter of Fundamental Rights does not extend the ability of the Court of Justice of the European Union or domestic courts to rule on compliance with fundamental rights.

Darfur

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what efforts they are making to press for the publication of the UN Security Council Sudan Panel of Experts’ most recent report, presented to the Sudan Sanctions Committee in December 2015, detailing the use of cluster munitions and gold smuggling in Darfur.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK fully supports the work of the UN Panel of Experts on Darfur. We are extremely concerned that last year’s report has not been published and have raised this issue with our UN Security Council partners.

South Sudan: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the calls by Amnesty International on 15 April that the South Sudanese government "must end arbitrary detentions by the intelligence agency", what steps they are taking to ensure that the South Sudanese National Security Service respects the human rights of those held in its custody.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK consistently raises concerns about arbitrary detentions by the Government of Sudan’s security services, most recently as part of a joint démarche with the EU. The UK also took a lead role in helping to secure a new Commission on Human Rights at the UN Human Rights Council in March that will monitor and report on the human rights situation across South Sudan.

Sudan: Minority Groups

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support the Beja people in Eastern Sudan, in particular to prevent kidnapping and people trafficking.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK is supporting the people of Eastern Sudan, including the Beja people, in a number of ways. The Department for International Development (DfID) spends £30million in Eastern Sudan to help improve vulnerable communities’ food security and nutrition, provide sustainable water supplies and improve sanitation. DfID also provides core funding to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees which supports host and refugee communities across Sudan to improve livelihoods and reduce the risk of human trafficking. The UK is also taking a lead role in the Khartoum Process, which prioritises tackling smuggling and trafficking across the Horn of Africa, including Sudan.

Sudan: Human Trafficking

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Human Rights Watch report of 2014 I Wanted to Lie Down and Die, which stated that people trafficking was "facilitated by collusion between traffickers and Sudanese and Egyptian police", what assessment they have made of any current links between the government of Sudan and people traffickers.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While we welcome the positive steps the Government of Sudan has taken, including passing anti-trafficking legislation and acceding to the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, we are concerned by reports of collusion between Sudanese border officials and traffickers. We continue to raise these concerns directly with the Government of Sudan and press for action.

Turkey: Armed Conflict

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) whether Turkey has breached the Geneva Conventions by (a) killing and wounding unarmed civilians in south-east Turkey, and (b) firing across its frontiers with Syria and Iraq; and (2) whether there may be scope for prosecuting individuals responsible for those actions before the International Criminal Court and for claiming compensation for individuals whose property has been destroyed.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are closely monitoring Turkish government security operations in south-east Turkey and actions it has taken in northern Iraq and northern Syria. Our condolences are with civilians caught up in the violence, as well as Turkish soldiers and police who continue to be targeted in terrorist attacks by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and our Ambassador in Ankara have emphasised to the Turkish government the need to respect human rights, avoid civilian casualties and return to the peace process. We understand that the Government of Turkey has committed to compensating those whose properties were damaged in recent violence.

Turkey: NATO

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is their policy that the other members of NATO have a responsibility to ensure that Turkey only uses proportionate force when dealing with insurgents and alleged terrorists; and whether they intend to call for discussions about that issue amongst NATO members.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Turkey is a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) ally and valued security partner for the UK. All countries, including NATO Allies, have a responsibility to use proportionate force when dealing with insurgents and alleged terrorists. We have no plans to call for discussion about that issue amongst NATO members.

Turkey: Armed Conflict

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they intend to make to the government of Turkey about the proposed expropriation and partial demolition of the Sur neighbourhood and the city of Diyarbakir; and what assessment they have made of whether those actions constitute collective punishment.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We understand that the Turkish government has proposed expropriation in order to facilitate reconstruction of certain areas damaged during security operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. We have not made representations or assessed the question of collective punishment.

Islamic State

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the campaign by the Syriac Military Council and its militia in recapturing territory, including Assyrian villages, from ISIS.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We welcome all successes against Daesh. Ultimately, the best way of safeguarding minorities such as the Assyrians and the majority population is by defeating Daesh and establishing a lasting peace in both Syria and Iraq.The Syriac Military Council has been a component part of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG)-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) since the SDF’s formation in late 2015. The SDF receives support from the Global Coalition in its efforts to combat Daesh in Northern Syria.

Middle East: Military Aid

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the visit in January of British and French diplomats and American representatives to meet the Syriac coalition, what conclusions they have drawn about the military needs of that coalition.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Syriac Military Council has been a component part of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG)-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) since the SDF’s formation in late 2015. The SDF receives support from the International Coalition in its efforts to combat Daesh in Northern Syria.

Middle East: Genocide

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the legal advice given by the Attorney General in Northern Ireland that genocide is being committed against Christian and other minorities in Iraq and Syria.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: This Government condemns Daesh atrocities against Christians, other minorities, and the majority Muslim populations of Iraq and Syria. As the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), has said, the Government’s position remains that although there is a very strong case to answer, ultimately it should be a matter for judicial authorities.We are supporting the gathering and preservation of evidence that could in future be used in a court to hold Daesh to account. And we continue to deliver our comprehensive strategy to defeat Daesh, and thereby stop them from preventing more atrocities.

Ilgar Mammadov

Baroness Suttie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan about the case of Ilga Mammadov.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have raised the case of Ilgar Mammadov on a number of occasions since his arrest in February 2013. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and the Minister for Europe, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), raised it bilaterally with the Government of Azerbaijan during their visits to Baku in December 2013 and November 2014 respectively. The UK issued a press statement in March 2014, expressing concern about the length of the sentence and the conduct of the trial. In the Council of Europe the UK has repeatedly called for the Government of Azerbaijan to fully implement the European Court of Human Rights judgement and release Mr Mammadov.

Burma: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Baroness Nye: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the new government in Burma about the opening of a UNHCR office in that country.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees already maintain an office in Rangoon, Burma, we have long called for the Burmese government to work with the UN over the opening of a full country office for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. This was a prominent recommendation of the Burma Resolution at the UN’s March Human Rights Council, which we co-sponsored. We will continue to encourage the new administration in Burma to follow through on that recommendation.

China: BBC World Service

Baroness Falkner of Margravine: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the BBC World Service regarding the proposal to move the Chinese Language Service to Hong Kong.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We did not hold discussions with the BBC World Service prior to their decision to move some Chinese Language Service posts to Hong Kong. Operational decisions of this nature are for the BBC to take independently of Government.The BBC has since advised that the entire service is not moving to Hong Kong but that there will be a change in the number of staff based in Hong Kong and London to allow more first-hand reporting in the region.

Russia and China: Censorship

Baroness Falkner of Margravine: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their strategy to counter misinformation and censorship from Russia and China and what assessment they have made of how the relocation of the BBC Chinese Service to Hong Kong fits with that strategy, given the rise in Chinese intervention in freedoms in Hong Kong.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Russia’s use of disinformation and hybrid warfare is unacceptable. We are actively working with European and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies to protect and promote access to reliable information and bring balance and plurality to the Russian language media.We are concerned by the harassment and detention of journalists in China. Freedom of expression is a priority for the UK and it should be the bedrock of a strong democracy. Working with the Chinese authorities and civil society to encourage greater freedom of expression in China remains a priority for us. In Hong Kong, we monitor freedom of the press closely, including in the Six Monthly Reports on Hong Kong, as this is one of the fundamental freedoms protected by the Joint Declaration and enshrined in the Basic LawNo assessment has been made regarding the operational decision to move some Chinese Language Service posts to Hong Kong. The BBC has advised that safety is always of paramount importance and BBC Chinese staff are already able to report from Hong Kong independently and without interference from authorities. The BBC believes this will continue in Hong Kong, which hosts regional headquarters and offices for more than a hundred leading international media organisations. The BBC faces challenges to press freedom all over the world every day and this move will not change its commitment to impartial journalism in any way.

Russia: BBC World Service

Baroness Falkner of Margravine: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have been informed of any plans by the BBC to move the Russian Service to Moscow.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not been informed by the BBC of any plans to move the Russian Service to Moscow. Operational decisions of this nature are for the BBC to take independently of Government.

China: BBC World Service

Baroness Falkner of Margravine: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the editorial independence of the BBC Chinese Service of its potential relocation to Hong Kong.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have made no assessment regarding the operational decision to move some Chinese Language Service posts to Hong Kong. The BBC has advised that BBC Chinese Language staff are already able to report from Hong Kong independently and without interference from authorities. The BBC believes this will continue in Hong Kong which hosts regional headquarters and offices for more than a hundred leading international media organisations.

Sudan: Christianity

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the human rights of Christian pastors in Sudan are protected, in the light of the arrests and continuing detention of Telahoon Nogosi Kassa Rata and Hassan Abduraheem Kodi Taour.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the human rights of detained Sudanese pastors Telahoon Nogosi Kassa Rata and Hassan Abduraheem Kodi Taour are respected.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the treatment of Christians in Sudan, in the light of the arrests and continuing detention of Telahoon Nogosi Kassa Rata and Hassan Abduraheem Kodi Taour.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Freedom of religion or belief in Sudan continues to be an area of deep concern. We have consistently called on the Government of Sudan to ensure all legislation is consistent with the Interim Constitution of 2005; within which religious freedom is enshrined. We regularly attend court cases in Sudan on freedom of religion or belief and through our project work we also seek to support lawyers who take on cases addressing important human rights issues.Our Ambassador in Khartoum raised the specific cases of Mr Talahon and Reverend Hassan with the Minister of Guidance and Religious Endowments and the Sudanese Director of Church Affairs in February. We also raised this issue with the Sudanese Director of Human Rights during the UK-Sudan bilateral talks in March, and again with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in April. Furthermore, we continue to raise concerns about the scope of the National Security Act (2010) and the powers it gives the National Intelligence and Security Service. Most recently, we highlighted this issue in our statement at Sudan’s Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council on 4 May. We will remain active on these issues.

Middle East: Genocide

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by the Prime Minister on 4 May (HC Deb, col 168) that "there is a very strong case here for saying that it is genocide, and I hope that it will be portrayed and spoken of as such" with reference to the actions of ISIS against the Christian and other minorities in Iraq and Syria, whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office intends to speak publicly of those actions as genocide.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: As the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), has said, the Government’s position remains that although there is a very strong case to answer, ultimately it should be a matter for judicial authorities. The Government continues to believe that recognition of genocide should be a matter for international courts, not political bodies. It should be a legal, rather than political determination, decided by international judges after consideration of all the evidence available in the context of a credible international judicial process.

Attorney General

Terrorism: British Nationals Abroad

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have not prosecuted the reported 350 Jihadis who have returned to the UK and are suspected of having fought in Syria or Iraq.

Lord Keen of Elie: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has successfully prosecuted 35 cases involving 54 defendants who have returned to the UK and are suspected of having fought in Syria and / or Iraq. It currently has 13 such ongoing prosecutions involving 30 defendants. The Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland (PPSNI) is also dealing with one ongoing Syria-related prosecution. If there is evidence that people are going abroad to engage in terrorist activity, they can be arrested and prosecuted. They can also be arrested and prosecuted if they return to the UK. There are a wide range of offences that can be used to prosecute such individuals but each case has to be considered individually on its merits and whether an arrest or prosecution can take place will depend on the evidence available. If the police refer a case to the CPS, they consider whether the test in the Code for Crown Prosecutors is met. That is, whether there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence and, if so, whether it is in the public interest to prosecute.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Location

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 26 April (HL7673), whether there exists an internal Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) report called BIS2020 Finance and Headcount that contains information about the move of the Sheffield BIS office to London.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government does not comment on internal or leaked documents.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Location

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what business case they have prepared regarding the move of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills office from Sheffield to London, and whether they will publish that document.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The proposal to move policy roles to London forms part of a wider strategic case to enable the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to deliver £350m of savings and be more effective in delivering Ministerial priorities. The proposals were not formed on the basis of any individual business case for a single location and the consultation on the proposal is continuing.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Location

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether an equality assessment has been carried out regarding the move of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills office from Sheffield to London, and if so, what the findings were.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: An Equality Analysis on both the proposed move of all policy posts to London, and the proposed closure of the Sheffield office, has been carried out. The Equality Analysis and findings have already been shared with the Departmental Trade Unions as part of the consultation.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Location

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria they used in making the decision to move the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills office from Sheffield to London, and how those criteria were decided.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Department has not yet made final decisions on its future estate or on the proposals for a combined BIS headquarters and policy centre in London. Our consultation on the proposals is still underway.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Location

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which minister was informed of the move of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills office from Sheffield to London, why they were informed, and whether they had any decision-making role in that move.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Permanent Secretary and Executive Board have made the proposal to relocate policy roles to London. They are responsible for the day to day running of the Department. The proposal is part of the BIS 2020 programme agreed with Ministers to deliver £350m savings and be more effective in delivering Ministerial priorities.

Small Businesses: Billing

Baroness Golding: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress is being made towards appointing the proposed Small Business Commissioner to help small businesses resolve payment disputes with large businesses.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Government has taken powers to establish the Small Business Commissioner via the Enterprise Bill, which is currently waiting for Royal Assent. We have started the implementation process and will begin the recruitment of the Commissioner later this year with the expectation of appointing him or her in 2017. We are completing the rest of the implementation in parallel which includes: consulting on, preparing and laying secondary legislation; setting up the Commissioner’s office; and creating a web presence.

Apprentices: Taxation

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the call from the CBI for a rethink of the Apprenticeships Training Levy in the light of the costs to businesses.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: We’ve been talking to hundreds of businesses, and other bodies including the CBI, since we announced the apprenticeship levy in last summer’s budget and these conversations have played a major part in shaping how the apprenticeship levy will work.Businesses across the country can only grow and compete on the world stage if they have the right people with the right skills. Alongside employer led apprenticeship standards and the new Institute for Apprenticeships, the levy will boost the quality and quantity of apprenticeships - something employers agree is needed for a productive UK workforce.We know businesses want to understand how the levy will work for them, that’s why we published a detailed guide last month that is already being used by tens of thousands of employers.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-levy-how-it-will-work/apprenticeship-levy-how-it-will-work



Apprenticeship levy guidance
(Word Document, 79.5 KB)

Retail Trade: Voucher Schemes

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will investigate the case for sales of gift vouchers by retailers to be backed by cash collateral held in independent escrow.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Her Majesty’s Government has asked the Law Commission to consider the treatment of gift vouchers and pre-payments in the event of retailer insolvency. The Government will consider carefully any recommendations that may emerge on this question once the Law Commission’s report is published in the summer of 2016.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Water

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK, along with the other countries that have committed to the Sustainable Development Goals, delivers clean water for all by 2030.

Baroness Verma: In the UK Aid Strategy published in November 2015, we committed to help 60 million people get access to clean water and sanitation in support of goal 6 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.We will achieve this target through projects managed by our Country Offices, the Department for International Development offices based in the UK and through our contributions to multilateral organisations such as the World Bank. We will continue to invest in country and regional programmes to improve water resources management, water efficiency and improve water quality.

Developing Countries: Wells

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which countries the Department for International Development (DfID) has awarded contracts for the drilling of water wells; and how many of those contracts were awarded centrally by DfID, and how many were awarded locally.

Baroness Verma: DFID delivers a range of water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities, through partners in 22 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia all of which use proven approaches that deliver affordable and sustainable services.These interventions are not restricted to the drilling of water wells. As such, DFID do not disaggregate individual activities separately and are therefore not able to report specific numbers of drilling contracts.

Palestinians: Syria

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will seek to achieve a local ceasefire around the Yarmouk Camp in south Damascus so that UNWRA can deliver food to the population in the Camp.

Baroness Verma: The UK is extremely concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yarmouk camp in Syria, where intensified fighting between Daesh and Al- Nusra Front in recent weeks has exacerbated the suffering of approximately 6,000 civilians there, who are besieged by Syrian regime forces.The UK will consider any option compliant with international law that might save lives in Syria. We do not think it would be feasible to broker a local ceasefire in Yarmouk camp, given the parties involved in the fighting there. However, through the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) the UK will continue to support the resumption of a nationwide Cessation of Hostilities as a step towards an inclusive, Syrian-owned political transition.The UK is committed to supporting the most vulnerable people in need inside Syria wherever they are. As part of the ISSG we agreed with other members on 11 February that humanitarian access should be opened to a number of priority areas, including Yarmouk, as a first step to accelerating full and sustained access across Syria. Since then, UNRWA has delivered 21 convoys with multi-sectoral assistance to 19,000 people in Yalda, Babella, Beit-Sahm, including thousands of residents in and from Yarmouk. We welcome UNRWA’s efforts in protecting and assisting vulnerable Palestinian refugees. To date, the UK has allocated over £59 million to UNRWA to provide assistance for Palestinian refugees affected by the violence in Syria and the region.

Nigeria: Overseas Aid

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will increase UK aid to Nigerian international development projects, in particular those affected by recent violence involving Fulani herdsmen.

Baroness Verma: The UK is acutely aware of the human suffering caused by inter-communal violence between cattle herders and farmers in Nigeria. Reports of violence involving Fulani herdsmen have increased in recent weeks. The conflicts between herders and farmers are economic in nature and largely driven by competition over land and resources, which is exacerbated by population growth and climate change.DFID has set up the £39 million Nigerian Stability and Reconciliation Programme, which works across various conflicts in Nigeria, including herder-farmer tensions. This programme is supporting a number of economic initiatives that bring cattle herder and farmer communities together to work on projects which provide people with livelihoods and better economic opportunities. The programme also enables communities to agree on rules for land and water use, and provide them with mediation skills to prevent violent disputes.

Nigeria: Boko Haram

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance they are providing for the reconstruction of schools in north-east Nigeria following the destruction of those schools by Boko Haram.

Baroness Verma: DFID is supporting the Government of Nigeria’s “Safe Schools Initiative” to help protect children at school in north east Nigeria, provide schooling to children displaced by the violence and support to the school reconstruction efforts of the Government of Nigeria. This includes support to the UN to provide temporary learning spaces for more than 3000 children.

Palestinians: Syria

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) about the condition of Palestinian refugees and UNRWA staff following the recent bombing near Qabr Essit camp, Sayyida Zeinab, including threats to life, and access to food, water, and health services; and what action they are taking both multilaterally and unilaterally to relieve the situation.

Baroness Verma: Da’esh has claimed responsibility for indiscriminate attacks in the Sayyida Zeinab area that have killed dozens of civilians since the beginning of the year. We share UNRWA’s concerns about the volatile situation on the ground, including its impact on the Palestinian refugee camp at nearby Qabr Essit.We have given over £59 million to UNRWA to provide assistance to Palestinian refugees affected by the violence in Syria. Through the International Syria Support Group and UN Security Council, we are pushing for improved humanitarian access to all those in need across Syria and supporting attempts to find a political settlement that will end the conflict.

Gaza: Electricity Generation

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 26 April (HL7737), what representations they have made to the government of Israel about why it rejected Turkey’s proposal of a floating power-generating ship to help solve the electricity crisis in Gaza.

Baroness Verma: The UK has not made representations to Israel about this specific issue. We are in regular discussion with Israel, the Palestinian Authority and other development actors, specifically the UN and EU, about Gaza’s energy crisis. Improving Gaza’s provision of electricity will in turn improve Gaza’s water supply and wastewater treatment. We regularly call on both parties to work on solutions to increase the electricity supply, including press for the extension of the 161 power line and progress towards the conversion of the Gazan power station to gas.

Sudan: Humanitarian Aid

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that humanitarian charities such as Save the Children and Médecins Sans Frontières are able to give assistance to people in Eastern Sudan, following their expulsion by the government of Sudan in June 2012.

Baroness Verma: The UK continues to fund international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) and UN agencies to deliver programmes which target the most vulnerable Sudanese citizens, and ensure that those in need of humanitarian assistance are not left unsupported as a result of expulsion decisions. We meet regularly with the Sudan INGO Steering Committee to discuss issues including humanitarian access, and support them in advocating for access when requested to do so. In addition, DFID is funding £30m of programmes over 3 years in Eastern Sudan to help improve vulnerable communities’ food security and nutrition, provide sustainable water supplies and improve sanitation. DFID also provides core funding to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) which supports host and refugee communities across Sudan to improve livelihoods.

Palestinians

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 25 April (HL7413), how the pre-approved EU list of named civil servants is approved, and by whom; and how that process is subject to independent auditing, and by whom.

Baroness Verma: The UK uses the EU PEGASE mechanism to earmark funds to payment of vetted PA civil servants and pensioners. The list of PEGASE Direct Financial Support eligible beneficiaries is determined each month by Deloitte auditors on the basis of the EU eligibility criteria. The list of approved recipients is subject to a vetting process that includes screening against international (including Israeli) ad hoc sanctions lists.

Cotonou Agreement

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the long-term protections in place for the monies granted under the Cotonou Convention in the 11th European Development Fund.

Baroness Verma: The European Development Fund (EDF) provides development assistance in accordance with the Cotonou Agreement. The 11th EDF resources are implemented in compliance with the principals of sound financial management and transparency. Every year the accounts of the EDF are scrutinised by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) who perform rigorous annual audits on the EU’s finances. The ECA also review specific programmes and projects for effectiveness and impact.DFID regularly reviews the work of its partners, including the EU, to ensure that aid is being spent efficiently and appropriately.

Gaza: Charities

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on charities operating in Gaza of the freezing of financial transfers to them owing to the orders of the Palestinian Authority to Palestinian banks.

Baroness Verma: The UK remains supportive of the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) efforts to strengthen its revenue generation. A transparent and effective tax system is an important part of this. It is also important that the tax system is implemented in a way that does not negatively impact the vital role which NGO’s play in responding to the needs of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is an importtant part of this.DFID officials have raised concerns with the Ministry of Finance (MOF) about this, particularly the need for clarity on the implications of the tax system for NGOs, and how this could affect issues such as operations in Gaza and banking signatory authorities. The UK, along with other donors, UN OCHA and the NGO community, will continue to be in close contact with PA to clarify their approach.

Misoprostol

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the World Health Organization about making Misoprostol available in conflict settings.

Baroness Verma: DFID has regular contact with the Inter-Agency Working Group on Reproductive Health in Crisis Situations (IAWG), of which WHO is a member.The IAWG establishes technical standards for the delivery of reproductive health services in crisis contexts. Misoprostol is included in the drugs list for the IAWG’s Reproductive Health Kits for Crisis Situations, used to deliver the Minimal Initial Service Package for Reproductive Health in Crisis Situations (MISP), a series of crucial actions to respond to reproductive health needs at the onset of every humanitarian crisis. The UK advocates for full implementation of the MISP at the onset of emergencies.DFID has supported the Reproductive Maternal Newborn and Child Health Trust Fund that focuses on increasing the availability of misoprostol, as one of 13 life-saving commodities, in all countries as a follow up to the UN Commission on Life Saving Commodities.

Department for Education

Academies

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what the costs will be of the proposed conversion of all non-academies to academy schools.

Lord Nash: Taking the Spending Review and the Budget together, we have set aside the funding to support a high quality school system where all schools are academies.Through the Budget and the Department for Education’s settlement in the Spending Review there are sufficient resources available to take advantage of the opportunities presented by all schools becoming academies. The Government has allocated £300 million that will be available to support schools to convert and, in particular, support sponsors to turn around failing schools. A further £300 million will be available to support strong and effective multi-academy trusts to grow and improve.The Department will be issuing further detail on how funding will support the conversion of all schools to academy status in due course.

Ministry of Justice

Employment Tribunals Service: Fees and Charges

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much has been received by HM Courts and Tribunals Service in payment of employment tribunal fees since 29 July 2013; how many (1) single, and (2) multiple, claims were received by employment tribunals in each year since their introduction; and what has been the total value of all grants of remission of employment tribunal fees in each year since their introduction.

Lord Faulks: To protect vulnerable workers, there is a system of fee remissions under which fees may be waived in part or in full, for those who qualify. The total amount received from the payment of employment tribunal fees less, the value of all grants of remission of employment tribunal fees, in each year since the introduction of fees is set out in table 1.Table 1 Employment Tribunal Income & Remission 2013-14 [Note 1]2014-15 Total 4,4699,039 Note 1 - 2013-14 Income covers 29 July 2013 to 31 March 2014  This information is published in the HMCTS annual report and accounts for 2013-14 and 2014-15. The number of single and multiple cases received between 29 July 2013 and December 2015 is set out in table 2.Table 2 Volume by ET Appeal Type2013-14  [Note 1]2014-152015-16  [Note 2]Single Cases14,86816,42013,086Multiple Cases1,3381,921899Total Cases 16,206  18,341  13,985 Note 1 - volumes from August 2013 to March 2014. Volumes for July were not included because fees only came into force on 29 July 2013Note 2 - volumes from April to December 2015 only. Q4 data will published on 9 June 16 Volumes for single and multiple claims and fee remissions is published in the quarterly bulletin in ‘Annex D Employment tribunal fees’ on the Tribunal statistics available on the Government website. On 11 June we announced the start of the post-implementation review of the introduction of fees in the Employment Tribunals. The Review is being undertaken within the Ministry of Justice. The review is ongoing and will be published in due course.

Employment Tribunals Service: Fees and Charges

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to publish the findings of their review of employment tribunal fees; who conducted that review; what resources were afforded to that review; and when they were made aware of the findings of that review.

Lord Faulks: On 11 June we announced the start of the post-implementation review of the introduction of fees in the Employment Tribunals. The Review is being undertaken within the Ministry of Justice. The review is ongoing and will be published in due course.

Peers: Writs of Summons

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the corrected Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 13 April (HL5044), how many of those Writs were sent to Peers in (1) each region of England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland.

Lord Faulks: A total of 808 Writs were sent to Life and Hereditary Peers across the regions of England and the counties of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as follows:East of England 61; East Midlands 15; North East 19; North West 26; South East 108; South West 49; West Midlands 19; Yorkshire & Humber 27; Central London 164; Greater London 221; Scotland 61; Wales 18; Northern Ireland 20.

Asylum: Eritrea

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Eritrean nationals were required to pay fees for their asylum appeals in (1) 2013, (2) 2014, and (3) 2015.

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many appeals lodged against initial asylum refusals by Eritrean nationals were lodged (1) within the UK, and (2) outside the UK, in (a) 2013, (b) 2014, and (c) 2015.

Lord Faulks: The numbers of Eritrean nationals who lodged an asylum appeal in the UK or from overseas in the three years up to December 2015 are: TotalWithin the UKOutside the UK201312212202014241240120151,8561,8542 The numbers of Eritrean nationals who were required to pay a fee for their asylum appeal in the three years up to December 2015 are: Total2013120142201523 Notes to tables: 1. Figures include Asylum, Protection and Revocation of Protection appeals. 2. Figures provided are taken from internal management information and not subject to the same quality checks as Official Statistics.

Prisons: Ministers of Religion

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 27 April (HL7786), what temporary measures they plan to take, pending the review by the Lord Chancellor of the recommendations arising out of the review of extremism, to ensure that literature of a homophobic nature is not handed out by prison chaplains.

Lord Faulks: Prison chaplains are already aware that they should not distribute any unacceptable material, including material of a homophobic nature, to prisoners. My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Justice is considering the recommendations of the review of Extremism. As the Secretary of State told the House on 26 April, a summary document will be published in due course. The full report cannot be published due to sensitive security issues.

Crime: Prosecutions

Baroness Afshar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prosecutions there have been in the past three years for (1) theft where the sum of money or the value of the goods alleged to have been taken is £10 or less, (2) begging, and (3) rough sleeping.

Lord Faulks: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates’ courts for theft offences, and begging and sleeping out, in England and Wales, from 2012 to 2014 (latest available) can be viewed in the table. Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for selected offence categories, England and Wales, 2012 to 2014 (1)(2)Offence category201220132014Theft offences144,972142,011135,401Begging1,2292,0972,219Sleeping out213023(1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.(2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.Ref: PQ HL 8107 Information on the value of the items involved in each individual theft offence is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The figures in the table can also be found in the Outcomes by Offence tables in the annual publication on the Government website.

Courts: Fines

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why spending on court fine collection is being cut, in the light of the value of fines that remain uncollected.

Lord Faulks: In recent years efficiency savings have been required right across HM Courts and Tribunals Service. Continuous improvement practices within compliance and enforcement have led to record totals of financial impositions collected each year for the last four years.Following the decision to modernise the compliance and enforcement service through an in-house solution, HM Courts and Tribunals Service has been working to develop a new strategy which will lead to further investment in the service and further increased collections.

Cycling: Fixed Penalties

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 3 May (HL7756), in what manner they ensure that cyclists pay fines imposed by fixed penalty notices.

Lord Faulks: When a fixed penalty notice is issued offenders have 28 days in which to pay the amount ordered. No enforcement action is taken during this period but if the offender fails to pay within this time the fixed penalty notice is increased by 50% and registered as a court fine. HM Courts and Tribunals Service can then take the same enforcement steps as for any court ordered fine.

The Lord Chairman of Committees

Parliament: Publications

Lord Palmer: To ask the Chairman of Committees how much the Members' Personal Safety and Security pamphlet cost to produce and distribute to members.

Lord Laming: The Lords Members’ Personal Safety and Security booklets cost £673.02 to design and print. We take the security of Members extremely seriously and regularly update our advice and guidance on the steps they can take to help keep themselves, their staff and their families safe. This was a longstanding, routine update on a booklet which has previously existed in a number of different editions.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Deployment

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Ashton of Hyde on 21 April (HL Deb, col 761), whether they will (1) list the location of all Coalition HQs where British forces are embedded, and (2) the number of personnel located at each HQ.

Earl Howe: I refer the noble Lord to the written statement of 17 December 2015 (HLWS422). The 94 UK personnel referred to in the written statement are embedded at eight separate coalition headquarters, but I am not able to provide location details as their disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.



UK Embedded Forces
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Department for Work and Pensions

British Home Stores: Pensions

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Altmann on 28 April (HL7905), whether the Pensions Regulator has taken any action in the case of the BHS pension scheme in order to fulfil its statutory duty to reduce the risk of situations that may lead to claims for compensation from the Pension Protection Fund, and what assessment they have made of whether the Pensions Act 2004 provides adequate protection to pension scheme members.

Baroness Altmann: The investigation into the BHS pension schemes and any associated action is a matter for the independent Pensions Regulator. Once the Regulator has completed its investigation, any subsequent determination will be published on its website. The Government considers that the Pensions Act 2004 provides the Regulator with a sufficient range of measures to protect pension scheme members and the Pension Protection Fund, including anti-avoidance powers to enable it to act where corporate transactions are aimed at avoiding debts to the pension scheme. The powers of the Regulator are kept under review.

British Home Stores: Pensions

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the BHS pension fund has now transferred to the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) or whether the owner, former owner, or secured creditors are still able to make a financial contribution to obviate a need to transfer the fund to the PPF.

Baroness Altmann: The BHS pension schemes are in Pension Protection Fund (PPF) assessment periods. During this period the schemes are able to accept contributions from the sponsoring employer to cover its debts to the schemes. They are also able to receive recoveries as a creditor or through the use of the Regulator’s powers. If the scheme assets are shown to be sufficient to buy its members annuities at least as good as the compensation paid by the PPF, the scheme will not transfer into the PPF.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food: Waste

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the positive findings of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs research Digestate and Compost in Agriculture, what action they are taking to increase the volume of food waste going to anaerobic digesters rather than to incinerators.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: It is wrong for good surplus food to go to waste when it could go to people. For food waste which is unavoidable and inedible, anaerobic digestion is the most environmentally beneficial means of dealing with it. The Waste Framework Directive sets out a priority order for waste treatment: the waste hierarchy. We have departed from the waste hierarchy to place anaerobic digestion above – rather than on a par with – composting and other energy recovery technologies for the treatment of food and garden wastes. We explain this position in our “Guidance on applying the waste hierarchy”. While local authorities are best placed to determine local collection arrangements, they must have regard to this guidance. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has recently published guidance to local authorities on how to introduce or improve the effectiveness of food waste collection systems. WRAP is also looking at whether greater consistency in how waste is collected has the potential to improve recycling rates. The “Food Waste Recycling Action Plan”, soon to be published by WRAP, aims to bring together industry and local authorities to increase the supply and quality of household and commercial food waste to the food waste recycling industry.

Food: Waste

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to take further action to encourage local authorities to accelerate the rate at which they require households to separate food waste from domestic rubbish.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has recently published an updated household food waste collections guide. The guide is aimed at local authorities planning to introduce a new food waste collection scheme. It also provides advice to local authorities who wish to increase participation in their existing schemes. WRAP is also looking at whether greater consistency in how waste is collected has the potential to improve recycling rates. The “Food Waste Recycling Action Plan”, soon to be published by WRAP, aims to bring together industry and local authorities to increase the supply and quality of household and commercial food waste to the food waste recycling industry.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the delays by the Rural Payments Agency in making basic farm payments claimed in 2015, and of the causes of those delays.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), implementing the new Common Agricultural Policy, with its requirements and administrative checks, has created a number of challenges. The Rural Payments Agency focus has always been to pay as many claims as promptly as possible from the opening day of the payment window in December 2015. 99% of BPS 2015 claims have now received a payment.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of basic farm payments claimed during 2015 had been paid as of 30 April.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: As at 2 May, the first working day following 30 April, 98% of Basic Payment Scheme claimants had received a payment.

Glyphosate: Licensing

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what submissions they have made to the European Commission’s review of the licence of glyphosate.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Pesticide active substances, such as glyphosate, must be approved at EU level before products containing them can be authorised for sale and use in a Member State. The approval decision is based on an assessment of the risks to people and to the environment and is subject to regular review to ensure that current standards continue to be met. The scientific assessment is led by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and decisions are made by the European Commission through a comitology process. UK experts participated fully in the EFSA review of glyphosate and agree with its overall conclusion that this active substance meets the standards for approval. The Government has therefore been clear to the Commission that we support the continuing approval of glyphosate.

Glyphosate

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the position taken by the European Parliament that products containing glyphosate should be banned where alternative weed killers exist, and for use in public parks and playgrounds.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government recognises the importance of effective pesticides and believes that they should be authorised where the scientific evidence shows they do not pose unacceptable risks to human health or the environment.The European Food Safety Authority concluded that glyphosate met these standards and UK experts agree. We therefore consider that glyphosate should be approved. If this happens, all authorised products which contain glyphosate will be individually re-assessed at a Member State level to ensure that they also meet safety standards. The scientific assessment carried out so far does not suggest that blanket restrictions to prevent certain uses across the EU are justified. The Government therefore does not favour the inclusion of such restrictions in any future approval of glyphosate. It should be for Member States to consider whether restrictions are needed for particular glyphosate products in particular circumstances. This would form part of the normal product re-assessment process.

Floods: Compensation

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, of the 1,103 claims to the Flood Recovery Fund made by farmers in Cumbria, Northumberland, Lancashire, Yorkshire, County Durham and Greater Manchester, (1) who is responsible for approving those claims, (2) how many have been paid, and (3) what is the total value of those claims.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Whilst the Farming Recovery Fund is not competitive, farmers wishing to apply to the Fund have to submit a formal application with evidence to support their need for a grant to contribute to the restoration of farmland badly affected by Storms Desmond or Eva. Payments are made to farmers once the work has been carried out and a claim has been submitted. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is responsible for determining the eligibility of Farming Recovery Fund applications, issuing grant funding agreements to eligible applicants, and receiving, processing and paying claims for costs incurred under those grant funding agreements. The RPA received 1,103 applications for a total value of grant of £11,429,194 by the closing dates for the scheme. As of 5 May 2016, 209 applications have been approved with a total value of £1,947,738. A further 20 applications, with a value of £265,440, have been either rejected as ineligible or withdrawn by the applicant. Of the projects approved, 29 have been completed and have submitted claims with a value of £202,268. 13 of these claims have been paid with a total value of £78,504.

Floods: Compensation

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why processing claims to the Flood Recovery Fund have been delayed, and when they estimate that the processing of such claims will be completed.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Farming Recovery Fund closed on 1 April in all areas except Greater Manchester, where it closed on 15 April. Of the total 1,103 applications received by 15 April, 515 were received in the week 28 March to 1 April and a further 18 were received by 15 April. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is taking measures to assess all the remaining applications received, including more staff resources and a review of the administrative checks required before approval. The RPA expects to process most applications by the end of May 2016.

Squirrels: Pest Control

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential for the reintroduction of pine martens into areas of the UK that are infested with grey squirrels.

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have gathered on the reported decline of grey squirrels in areas with pine marten populations.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Forestry Commission is involved in the Vincent Wildlife Trust’s pine marten recovery project in mid and north Wales. The Forestry Commission in England is supporting a project in the Forest of Dean with the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, Natural England, Forest Research and others to pursue a pine marten restoration project. This project includes studies into impacts of pine martens including on trees and other wildlife. Natural England is also working with the Trust to restore viable populations of pine martens to northern England. The Forestry Commission is also working closely with one of the authors of the paper that identified the decline in grey squirrel populations in the Irish midlands, which may be associated with the abundance of pine martens. The work with the author and others will further explore the relationship between red squirrels, grey squirrels and pine martens in the UK.

Woodland Trust

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current level of financial support they provide to the Woodland Trust and its tree planting programme, and whether they have any plans to increase that support over the next four years.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: In the last financial year, the Government provided £55,338.12 to the Woodland Trust, to plant 35,400 trees with state primary schools across England in spring 2016. This support will increase over the next four years, as we expand the programme to fund the Woodland Trust to provide an additional 400,000 trees for schools for schoolchildren to plant in school grounds and local communities. The Woodland Trust can apply for grants under the Countryside Stewardship scheme, as part of the Rural Development Programme, in the same way as any other land owner or manager and it receives grants from previous support mechanisms.

Rural Payments Agency: Incentives

Lord Willoughby de Broke: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Payments Agency will receive a bonus payment this year before payments to eligible farmers have been completed.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Senior Civil Servants (SCS) who are moderated as top performers at the end of the performance management year are eligible to receive a bonus payment.The performance management year for the SCS runs from 1 April to 31 March. Performance markings for 2015/16 will be determined by the end of May 2016. Only then will the eligibility of SCS for bonus payments be known.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Landlord and Tenant

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to review and consolidate landlord and tenant legislation.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government has already introduced important reform to landlord and tenant legislation through the Housing and Planning Bill. Legislation is always kept under review given the complexity of issues in this area.

Housing: Cooperatives

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to boost the co-operative housing sector in England.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We recognise the significant role Housing Co-Operatives can play in delivering locally led housing development. The Government continues to be supportive of Housing Co-Operatives, because we want to see communities more in control of decisions that affect them. The March Budget confirmed £60 million a year from additional receipts from higher stamp duty rates on additional residential properties will be redirected into rural and coastal areas for community supported housing.

Housing: Cooperatives

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of legislation governing housing co-operatives and the case for updating or consolidating that legislation.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government has no current plans to change legislation governing fully mutual housing co-operatives.

Religious Hatred: Islam

Baroness Berridge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to respond to anti-Ahmadiyya hate literature in the UK in the light of recent reports that leaflets endorsing the execution of Ahmadi Muslims were found in Stockwell Green mosque on 10 April.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Religiously motivated hate crime and hate speech has absolutely no place in British society. This Government is clear that everybody should be free to live their lives free from fear of attack simply because of what their beliefs are, and that tragic events such as the recent murder of Asad Shah in Glasgow will not be tolerated. We have a strong legal framework in place against discrimination on the basis of religion, and criminal penalties for offences such as racially or religiously aggravated assault and criminal damage. Those who perpetrate hate crimes of any kind will be punished with the full force of the law. This Government has done more than any other to tackle anti-Muslim hatred. As of 1 April 2016, police forces in England and Wales are disaggregating religious hate crime data to reveal the true scale and nature of the problem. The Government also plans to publish its new Hate Crime Action Plan in the summer, which will set out our approach to tacking all forms of hate crime, including Islamophobia. This will build on the success of ‘Challenge It, Report It, Stop It’, which was published in 2012 and updated subsequently in 2014.

Social Rented Housing

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 23 February (HL6149), whether they plan to correct the Department for Communities and Local Government press release of 9 October 2015 from the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Mr Brandon Lewis, on higher earning tenants.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The press notice was issued in support of the Pay to Stay consultation, and the figures used are consistent with the Written Answer of 23 February 2016. Whilst the policy position has developed since the consultation closed, this does not require an update of the earlier press notice.

Social Rented Housing

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have used the figure of £50,000 in debates in the House on the "pay to stay" high income thresholds (HL Deb 14 March, col 1621) when their stated policy for the high income threshold in London is £40,000.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The figure of £50,000 has been used to illustrate that there are over 40,000 social rented households with incomes well above average. Households with an income of over £50,000 are in the top 20 per cent of households across all tenures. Social housing should be prioritised to those genuinely in need. There will be households on lower incomes who are more in need of social housing for rent.

Social Rented Housing

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many publicly owned or charity owned houses have been sold to their tenants in each of the last five years.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Statistics on the number of social dwellings sold by local authorities and private registered providers can be found in Live Table 678, which is too large to be included here but has been attached and can also be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-social-housing-sales



Table 678
(Excel SpreadSheet, 165.42 KB)

HM Treasury

EU Budget: Contributions

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O’Neill of Gatley on 25 April (HL7458), what is their estimate of the UK's (1) gross, and (2) net, contributions to the EU for 2015.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: Full year outturns for 2010-14 are available in table 3.B of European Union Finances 2015 (Cm 9167) which is available in the Library of the House and on gov.uk. No estimates of the UK’s total net contribution in 2015 are currently available, since these are not forecast. For the purposes of producing a fiscal forecast, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts both UK gross contributions to the EU and contributions net of EU receipts administered by the UK public sector. These do not represent an estimate of the UK's total net contributions since they exclude receipts directly administered by the European Commission, which means the net contribution appears higher than is actually the case. Therefore, they are not directly comparable with the data for 2013 and 2014 set out in table 3.B European Union Finances 2015, provided in Written Answer HL7458. Details of the OBR forecast can be found at table 3.A of European Union Finances 2015, and the differences between the figures in tables 3.A and the total net contributions set out in 3.B are explained fully in Annex B of both European Union Finances 2015 and HM Treasury analysis: the long-term economic impact of EU membership and the alternatives.

Public Sector: Pensions

Lord Triesman: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a list of occupational pension schemes in local government, the NHS and publicly funded education registered in the UK as at 1 January.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The Government does not maintain a central list of pension schemes provided by each employer in local government, the NHS and education sectors. However, there are three principal occupational pension schemes covering these workforces, which are the Local Government Pension Scheme 2014, the National Health Service Pension Scheme 2015 (and 1995 and 2008 sections) and the Teachers’ Pension Scheme 2015 (and 2010 section).

Financial Markets

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord O’Neill of Gatley on 26 April (HL7583 and HL7584), what assessment they have made of whether the same collateral could be used to support risk at both LCH and Eurex.

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is their policy that the ultimate holding company for the London Stock Exchange remains incorporated in the UK.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: I refer the noble Lord to my previous answers of 26 April (HL7583 and HL7780) which noted that, once notified of the merger, the Bank of England and Financial Conduct Authority would assess the proposal from a regulatory standpoint, and that it would also be subject to assessments and approvals by the competition authorities, overseas regulators, and shareholders. My previous answers further noted that any inter central counterparty links would need to be assessed against the relevant parts of European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) by the Bank of England, as supervisor of LCH.

Woodford Investment Management

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the initiative at Woodford Investment Management to publish monthly all the costs that investors pay.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The Government is committed to the principle that people should have access to appropriate and accessible investment options and understand the charges that they face. We appreciate the efforts that industry have made to fulfil this aim. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is conducting a market study into asset management, where such issues fall under its scope. The FCA expect to publish an interim report in summer 2016 and a final report in early 2017.

Insolvency

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to review the Financial Conduct Authority authorisation exemption for insolvency practitioners.

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Financial Conduct Authority authorisation of insolvency practitioners on the size of the debt advice market.

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the regulatory impact of the Financial Conduct Authority authorisation of insolvency practitioners.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The government consulted extensively on its reforms to the consumer credit market prior to the transfer of regulation from the Office of Fair Trading to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in April 2014. The result of that consultation included the exclusion for insolvency practitioners when acting in reasonable contemplation of being appointed as an insolvency practitioner (IP). It remains the government’s view that when an insolvency practitioner is no longer acting in reasonable contemplation of being appointed as an IP, they must be authorised by the FCA if they wish to continue providing debt advice. There are no immediate plans to review this exclusion. However, the government does maintain an interest in the impact of regulation on the debt advice market. The FCA is thoroughly assessing every debt management firm’s fitness to trade as part of the authorisation process. The size of the debt advice market will not be known until this process is complete. The government will stay in contact with the FCA throughout the authorisation process to monitor the impact on customer journeys and capacity. For IPs concerned about the potential burden of FCA authorisation, the FCA has been clear that it takes a proportionate approach to setting fees. This includes imposing tiered fees based on the income a firm generates from its credit activities, ensuring that the smallest firms pay the lowest fees. There also remain other options for smaller firms to consider, including the appointed representative regime.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Civil Nuclear Constabulary: Pensions

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what meetings (1) the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, and (2) other ministers, have had with (a) the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, (b) the Chief Constable of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, and (c) the Civil Nuclear Police Federation, to discuss the occupational retirement age for Civil Nuclear Constabulary officers.

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultation has taken place between the Department of Energy and Climate Change and (1) the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, (2) the Chief Constable of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, and (3) the Civil Nuclear Police Federation, in relation to the occupational retirement age of Civil Nuclear Constabulary officers.

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations and advice they have received from (1) the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, (2) the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, and (3) the Civil Nuclear Police Federation, regarding the normal retirement age of 60 for Civil Nuclear Constabulary officers.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Energy has met with the Chair of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority (CNPA) and the Chief Constable of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) on two occasions since taking office where the pension age of officers was discussed. In October 2015 and March 2016. The Minister of State has recently written to the Civil Nuclear Police Federation about meeting representatives of that organisation to discuss issues including the age at which CNC officers receive their pension. Officials at the Department of Energy and Climate Change have worked closely with officials at the CNPA and CNC at all levels, up to and including the Chief Constable, on the issue of the pension age of CNC officers since May 2014. The Department has received frequent and substantial advice on all aspects of this issue. This includes, but is not limited to, the impact of fitness standards on CNC officers and how those standards affect deployability of officers, and the costs of administering a pension scheme with a lower effective pension age. The Minister of State has received two letters from the Civil Nuclear Police Federation outlining their legal case for a lower pension age. Officials have met with the Civil Nuclear Police Federation to discuss the pension age of CNC officers on two occasions in 2015.

Climate Change

Baroness Young of Old Scone: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of UK environmental and climate change legislation derives (1) from EU directives transposed into UK legislation, (2) from EU regulations without need for transposition, and (3) from wholly domestic legislation; and of the legislation that derives from EU directives, what proportion is dependent on the European Communities Act 1972.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: Although specific figures for environment and climate change are not available, the House of Commons library has concluded that across the full range of UK instruments, from 1997 to 2014, an average of 13.2% were EU-related. A copy of the report is attached.  



SN07092 - EU & UK legislation since 1993
(PDF Document, 893.8 KB)

Department of Health

Human Embryo Experiments

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Prior of Brampton on 17 March (HL7118) and 25 April (HL7391), what assessment they have made of (1) the specific steps during the evolution of the peer-review process by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) over the last 10 years that allow specific members of the HFEA Licence Committee to overrule recommendations by the HFEA’s appointed peer reviewers; and (2) the relative impact on the licensing of proposed research over the last 10 years of (a) scrutiny by a team of inspectors, (b) scrutiny by an external, independent peer reviewer and (c) scrutiny by the HFEA’s Licence Committee; how participants in each of those levels of scrutiny have been (i) briefed regarding the impact of their recommendations and (ii) remunerated for their efforts; and how many research licence applications have ultimately been rejected following scrutiny over the last 10 years.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that its Licence Committee acts under delegated power from the Authority to make decisions on licences based on information put before it, which includes recommendations from peer reviewers. Given that they are the decision makers appointed by the HFEA in accordance with its statute, they are able to accept or reject information as appropriate. This therefore includes rejecting or accepting recommendations of peer reviewers. The Committee’s effectiveness is reviewed on an annual basis. The Licence Committee is made up of authority members who are remunerated on an annual basis. The remuneration figures are publicly available in the HFEA’s annual reports. Peer reviewers receive a fee of £189.67 per review. Inspectors receive a yearly salary and are not remunerated per inspection, unless they are external inspectors who are used occasionally. The information regarding research licenses is only held in a readily accessible format from 2011 onwards and before this date can only be provided at disproportionate cost. Since March 2011 there have been no research applications rejected by the Licence Committee. The HFEA works closely with licence applicants to develop their applications and resolve any issues prior to being submitted to the Licence Committee.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis in the prevention of HIV.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why NHS England has refused to pay the costs of making available pre-exposure prophylaxis in order to protect men from HIV.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a new use of HIV drugs which has shown clinical effectiveness in research trials at preventing HIV in people at high risk of getting HIV such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and people with HIV-positive partners. The drug used in the trials, Truvada, is not yet licenced for use as PrEP. Public Health England (PHE) has undertaken modelling work looking at cost-effectiveness of PrEP. Much depends on the price of the drugs and HIV prevalence in the target group. However, as with any new intervention, PrEP now needs to be properly assessed in relation to cost effectiveness to see how it could be commissioned in the most sustainable and integrated way and how it compares with other cost-effective approaches. The Department is considering this with PHE, NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. NHS England has agreed to carefully consider their position on commissioning pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Planning continues on the early implementer tests sites in the meantime. Irrespective of the commissioning arrangements for PrEP, decisions to fund will depend on full assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness and how it can be integrated with other HIV prevention efforts.

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency: Finance

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to replace direct funding of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency by fees paid by industry.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) operates as a government trading fund and recovers 92% of its total regulatory costs from fees and charges. In addition it receives income from the Department in recognition for the Agency providing both a devices service and a biologicals service from the National Institute for Biological Standards Control. In 2016/17 the Department is purchasing a devices service of £8.1 million plus capital funding of £1 million which covers the remaining 8% of its regulatory costs. The MHRA and the Department are considering charging the devices service directly to industry by fees. The MHRA is also looking at the potential for increasing fees from international work over the coming years.

Mental Health Services: Ethnic Groups

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the advice given in the Dancing To Our Own Tunes guidance by the National Survivor User Network, what assessment they have made of the involvement of black and minority ethnic service users in Clinical Commissioning Groups and local authorities.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Department is committed to involving patients and service users in the development of national mental health policy. However, it does not monitor this engagement centrally.

Health Services: Ethnic Groups

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the guidance to health commissioners to mandate providers to complete minimum data sets, what assessment they have made of whether high quality, safe and non-discriminatory care is being provided to black and minority ethnic groups.

Lord Prior of Brampton: As reflected in the first principle of the NHS Constitution, the National Health Service is committed to providing high quality, safe and non-discriminatory care for its users irrespective of their of protected characteristics. NHS organisations are subject to the public sector equality duty and other provisions of The Equality Act 2010 in carrying out their public functions and services. This means that they must think about the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination and advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic, such as race, and those who do not. Compliance with equality duties is embedded in the NHS regulatory framework and NHS organisations can be challenged in the courts if they fail to comply. As part of their enforcement powers, the Equality and Human Rights Commission can also take action against NHS organisations to ensure compliance.

Mental Health Services: Finance

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the level of investment in public mental health intervention in each of the last three years.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Previously, spend on public mental health has been a sub-category of the miscellaneous reporting category and most councils would have captured this spend locally. From 2016-17, mental health spend from the public health grant has its own dedicated reporting category and the information will be available nationally.

Mental Health Services: Ethnic Groups

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the guidance for commissioners of mental health services to people from black and minority ethnic communities on inequalities in access, experience and outcomes in mental health care.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Department is committed to involving patients and service users in the development of national mental health policy. It does not monitor this engagement centrally. The Department commissioned the Mental Health Providers’ Forum and the Race Equality Foundation to gather and review evidence of effective mental health service for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups. The review Better practice in mental health for black and minority ethnic communities was published in May 2015. The report found that organisations that were successful in providing mental health services that meet the needs of BME groups had developed local community-based approaches to service delivery which addressed cultural and linguistic differences and sought to actively engage hard to reach groups.The Department has also supported guidance published by the Joint Commissioning Panel in 2014 A guide for commissioners of mental health services for people from black and minority ethnic communities. http://www.jcpmh.info/good-services/black-minority-ethnic-communities/The guide set out 10 key messages for commissioners to improve services. These included: commissioning equitable access to mental health services for people regardless of ethnicity and identify and taking action to reduce ethnic inequalities; better local data collection to build understanding and competencies in commissioning services that meet the needs of BME groups; clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and health and wellbeing board developing strategies for BME groups; and involving and engaging service users in commissioning decisions.Copies of these reports are attached.



JCPMH BME GUIDE
(PDF Document, 1.94 MB)




Better Practice in Mental Health
(PDF Document, 461.57 KB)

Surrogate Motherhood

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to review the laws relating to surrogacy.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Government has no current plans to review the legislation relating to surrogacy but is keeping this issue under consideration.

Out-patients: Waiting Lists

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what mechanisms are in place to safeguard patients from delays to return hospital appointments beyond the clinically recommended time.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the clinical risks to patients of follow-up appointments being scheduled beyond clinically recommended times.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many review outpatient appointments were delayed beyond the clinically recommended time by hospitals in (1) 2014–15, and (2) 2015–16.

Lord Prior of Brampton: All follow up appointments (also known as planned, surveillance or recall appointments) should take place when clinically appropriate. It is for clinicians to make decisions on when they see patients, in line with their clinical priority, and patients should not experience undue delay at any stage of their referral, diagnosis or treatment. Moreover, the appropriate interval for follow up appointments will vary between different services or specialties, and between individual patients, depending on the severity of their condition. To ensure that patients are seen at the appropriate time, NHS England guidance is clear that when patients on planned lists are clinically ready for their care to commence and reach the date for their planned appointment, they should either receive that appointment or be transferred to an active waiting list. At that point, a waiting time clock will be started and their wait reported in the relevant statistical return, so that patients are not waiting on ‘hidden’ lists. Furthermore, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) also assesses providers against the new fundamental standards of safety and quality below which care should never fail. One of these standards requires that care and treatment must be appropriate and reflect service users’ needs and preferences. Another requires that care and treatment must be provided in a safe way. The CQC will require a provider to improve where it is not meeting these standards. No assessment has been made of the clinical risks to patients of follow-up appointments being scheduled beyond clinically recommended times, as the risks will also vary between services, specialties and patients. It is for clinicians to make these judgements. The information requested on delays to review outpatient appointments is not collected centrally.

Olympic Games: Brazil

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Prior of Brampton on 11 and 12 February (HL5764 and HL5766) and by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 11 February (HL5765), and in the light of current information about the increased extent of dangers from the Zika virus affecting up to 20 per cent of all births, whether they intend to issue further advice about, or to reconsider, in consultation with other European governments, the long-term implications of participating in or attending the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The British Olympic Association (BOA) and British Paralympic Association (BPA) have prepared guidance to consider the health risks, including those posed by Zika, for British athletes and staff travelling to Brazil for the Olympics. The Department of Health has convened an Olympics health advisory group on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to focus on Zika and to support the BOA and BPA to ensure that they can continue to provide the best possible information and advice. The group will be chaired by the Department’s Chief Scientific Advisor, Professor Chris Whitty, and will bring together experts from the BOA and BPA as well as the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of Liverpool, University of Nottingham, the Royal Free London, Public Health England and across Government. Revisions of existing guidance or specific further advice will be published if it is deemed necessary. In the meantime, Public Health England and the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) have developed and issued more general travel advice online to health professionals that is suitable for people travelling to Zika-affected countries, including pregnant women. A copy of the online advice is attached. This includes a list of countries where Zika virus transmission is occurring, advice around bite avoidance measures and what and who to speak to if those travelling have concerns. PHE and NaTHNaC continue to monitor the situation very closely and update advice as needed.



Zika Virus travel advice
(PDF Document, 208.77 KB)

Hospital Wards: Gender

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to take action against hospital trusts which continue to breach mixed-sex accommodation guidance.

Lord Prior of Brampton: All patients deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and the Government has made it clear that providers of National Health Service funded care are expected to eliminate mixed-sex accommodation, except where this is in the overall best interest of the patient, or reflects their personal choice. Since 2010, there has been a fall from almost 12,000 patients in mixed-sex accommodation to 753 reported in March 2016. We will continue to monitor monthly breach data and performance across the NHS in partnership with NHS England. The financial penalty for non-delivery of the operational standard is mandated through the NHS Standard Contract 2016/17, and applies to all providers of acute, cancer and mental health services. Under the terms of the Contract, where a breach occurs, the commissioner whose patient is affected must levy the financial sanction specified by the Contract. That sanction is £250 for each day that patient is affected by the breach. Delivering zero breaches for every trust, every month, is unlikely. This is because there will be some occasions where patients are mixed appropriately, even when their clinical care needs do not demand it (for example if a patient is admitted in the middle of the night and the only way to release an appropriate bed is to awaken and move other patients).

Food: Hygiene

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to legislate to make restaurants and food outlets display their hygiene ratings.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has responsibility for the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. The FSA has been monitoring the impact of mandatory display of ratings at food outlets in Wales and will look closely at the evidence from this. It is anticipated that proposals will be presented to the Government by the end of the year.

Pharmacy

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the volume of advice given by community pharmacists to patients that is not covered by a commissioned services contract.

Lord Prior of Brampton: As part of the essential services within the National Health Service community pharmacy contractual framework, all community pharmacies are expected to provide advice in respect to dispensed medicines, support for self-care, prescription linked healthy life style advice and signposting to others where the pharmacy cannot itself provide support. The volume of advice given by community pharmacists to patients that is not covered by a commissioned services contract has not been assessed.

Human Embryo Experiments

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 22 January 2008 (WA 28), 21 April 2008 (WA 234) and 12 May 2008 (WA 109–10), what assessment the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has made of the recently published research in Nature (DOI: 10.1038/nature17948) and Nature Cell Biology (DOI: 10.1038/ncb3347); and whether in the light of that research it has changed its conclusion that outgrowing human embryos cultured in vitro for more than 14 days could no longer be considered to be live human embryos as a matter of principle.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that it has not made a formal assessment of the recently published research in Nature (Deglincerti A. et al. 2016 and Shahbazi MN. et al. 2016). The HFEA has also advised that it is not expected that this research will lead to a change in the Authority’s assessment of embryonic masses, which form when embryos outgrow their structure. However, this research will be drawn to the attention of the HFEA’s Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee at its meeting in June.

Human Embryo Experiments

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 25 April (HL7390), what assessment the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has made of how the currently stated aim of research licence R0152 "to improve outcomes of ART for the treatment of infertility" relates to any reasonably foreseeable applications of nuclear transfer that accord with the statutory tests and the originally stated purpose of the proposed research in the initial application for that licence; and on what grounds the HFEA Licence Committee was "content that the revised objectives and lay summary were consistent with the activities and purposes for which the product was licensed".

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that research project R0152 has a number of aims, which are summarised in the HFEA inspection report for July 2015, a copy of which is attached. One of the aims of the research project R0152 is to improve outcomes of assisted reproduction technologies (ART) for the treatment of infertility. This relates to gaining a better understanding of the cellular and molecular events occurring during pre-implantation development in vitro, and to determine how these are affected by the routine laboratory procedures, for example the vitrification process to enable storage. The aim that refers to nuclear transfer does not specifically relate to the aim of improving outcomes of ART for the treatment of infertility. As stated in my Written Answer of 25 April 2016 (HL7390), in 2015 the HFEA Licence Committee was satisfied that the activities licensed were necessary or desirable for the purposes, specified in Schedule 2, Paragraph 3A(2) to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, as amended, and was, therefore, content with the revised objectives and lay summary.



HFEA Report
(PDF Document, 59.66 KB)

Pneumococcal Diseases: Vaccination

Baroness Greengross: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 26 April (HL7576), why the current section 7a public health functions agreement does not include performance indicators for the provision of pneumococcal vaccination to severely immunocompromised children aged at least five years and adults, as recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation in July 2013.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The performance indicators included in the 2016-17 S7A public health functions agreement do not reflect every activity which is carried out under the agreement. As I stated in my answer of 26 April, the provision of pneumococcal vaccination to severely immunocompromised children aged at least five years and adults, as recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation in July 2013, is reflected in the relevant service specification for the existing pneumococcal immunisation programme and within the document Immunisation against Infectious Diseases (‘the Green Book’). The Green Book is published on the GOV.UK website in an online only format. A copy of the service specification on the pneumococcal immunisation programme is attached. 



Service Specification
(PDF Document, 200.54 KB)

Misoprostol

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Misoprostol is approved for usage in obstetrics and gynaecology in the UK, and if so, for what specific purposes.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Misoprostol is used in adults for the medical termination of developing intra-uterine pregnancy, in sequential use with mifepristone, up to 49 days of amenorrhoea. It is taken as a single 400 microgram oral dose 36 to 48 hours after taking a single 600 milligrams oral dose of mifepristone.

Human Embryo Experiments

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 25 April (HL7391), whether the single stem cell line from the research project R0152 that was in preparation for depositing with the UK Stem Cell bank was derived following any form of nuclear transfer or pronuclear transfer.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the single stem cell line from the research project R0152, that was in preparation for depositing with the UK Stem Cell bank, was not derived following any form of nuclear transfer or pronuclear transfer.

Peterborough City Hospital

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times in the three years since 1 May 2013 the maternity unit at Peterborough City Hospital has closed its doors to women about to give birth.

Lord Prior of Brampton: This information is not available centrally. This information may be obtained from Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We have written to Robert Hughes, Chair of the Trust, informing him of the noble Lord’s enquiry. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

Midwives

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many midwives are currently employed in NHS maternity services, and how many additional midwives will be needed in 2017 to enable the effective operation of the service.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The latest statistics from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that as at 31 January 2016, there were 21,581 full-time equivalent midwives employed in the National Health Service in England, 21,398 of these work in NHS maternity services. NHS organisations are best placed to decide how many staff they employ tailoring services to meet the needs of their patients and local communities, to deliver safe care. The Department has set up Health Education England to deliver a better health and healthcare workforce for England. It is responsible for ensuring a secure workforce supply that reflects the needs of local service users, providers and commissioners of healthcare.